I am writing in response to the letter from Richard Pelto (Feb. 3 Reporter) regarding the cost of teachers’ pay. The starting gross pay for a teacher without experience in the Northshore School District (NSD), as shown on its Web site, is $34,679. Hardly enough to be rolling in dough with a late model car, is it? The top pay, which requires 16 years of experience plus an additional 90 hours of credits plus a Ph.D., is $65,469. Such additional credit hours are earned outside of school hours without pay. I wonder what the salaries are for Ph.D.s in the business world?
I suggest Mr. Pelto volunteer for a week in any of the schools in various rooms. When parents are unable or refuse to pay for things such as science projects, teachers come up with the money. My daughter has spent literally hundreds of dollars providing arts and crafts so her students will have gifts to take home for Christmas, Fathers’ Day and Mothers’ Day. She is a special-ed teacher, and special ed these days includes children who are mentally and/or physically challenged, students for whom English is a second language and do not have full comprehension of the written English language and children with behavior disorders.
Each student requires an individualized education plan written by the teacher, and the teacher and any specialists (speech, physical therapy, etc.) must meet before or after the school day with the parents and all must agree to the plan. Some parents don’t show up, not bothering to phone ahead. Others show up 30-60 minutes late without an apology.
School ends the third week of June and teachers are back in their rooms in early August preparing lesson plans, sorting books and getting the rooms ready. Those who work during their time off do so out of necessity. Teachers who leave the campus by 4 p.m. can be seen loading papers, dragging carry-alls to continue their work at home. Teachers’ jobs and that of the principal do not start and end with the school day but continue long after.
In the $10,000-salary days, there were fewer single parents, fewer families with both adults working and a child’s homework was supervised. These days, parents expect the schools to handle everything and you get children with poor social skills, no sense of responsibility, no respect and no manners.
My daughter commutes 21 miles to school as her bountiful teacher’s salary along with that of her husband does allow a budget that includes living in King County.
Next time, do your research, Mr. Pelto before writing disparaging letters regarding the teachers.
Camille Brady, Kenmore
